Mechanical toy



.June 1 1926.

c. A. WETZELL MECHANICAL TOY Filed Sept. 4, 1925 Patented dune l, 192$.

CLARENCE A. WETZELL, OF STEEL IN G, ILLINOIS.

MECHANICAL TOY.

Application filed-September 4, 192-55- Serial No. 54,410.

This invention relates to mechanical toys, and more particularly to those which are adapted to be pulled along the floor, and which have means operated by one .or more of the wheels of the toys.

Generally stated, the object of theinveir' tion is to provide a novel and improved construction, whereby the toy, when pulled or moved along the floor, has the appearance of a person driving a donkey or other animal, having arms which are operated up and down by one or more of the wheels of the toy, and which are connected by reins to the head ofthe donkey or other animal.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction tending to increase the general efliciency and desirability of a mechanical toy of this particu lar character.

To these and other useful ends, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and claimed, and as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in longitudinal vertical section, of a mechanical toy embodying the principles of the invention, and

Figure 2 is a plan of the said toy.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a base 1, mounted upon wheels '2, through the medium of metal bolsters 3 and axles 4t and 5, which bolsters are secured to the under side ofthe base by screws 6, or other suitable means. The toy figure at the rear of the toy comprises a cylindrical torso 7, which is inserted in an opening 8 in the base 1, previously mentioned. The head 9 has a neck portion 10, which is inserted tightly in the upper portion of said body or torso. A rock shaft 11 is inserted transversely through said body 7, and is provided at each end thereof with arms 12, of any suitable character, but preferably formed from turned pieces of wood. The

rock shaft 11 has an arm 13 mounted thereon, within the torso 7, and a lever 14 is mounted on a transverse pin 15 inserted horizontally through the torso 7, transversely of the toy. The upper end of the lever 14- is suitably connected with the end of the arm 13, so that vibration of this lever will rock the shaft 11, in the manner indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawings. The lower end of the lever 14 is connected by a pitman16 with the crank 17 on the axle 5, to which latter the rear wheels 2 are secured, or at least one of them, so

that the" wheel or wheels will rotate the crank axle, and thereby perate the lever 14 and cause the arms 12 to swing up and down.

The forward portion of the toy has the head 18 of a donkey, or other vanimal, mounted thereon, and this head is connected by reins 19 with the hands of the arms 12, so that when the toy is pulled along the floor, by the pull cord 20 attached to the head of the donkey, the little figure will appealr to be driving the donkey, or other anima Practically all of the parts are preferably made of wood, with the exception of'the bolsters and axles and the elements 11, 13, 14: and 15, as these mechanical parts are preferably of metal. The reins 19 may be a cord or any flexible material suitable for this purpose, and the ears of the donkey, or other animal, may be of leather or other flexible material so that they will vibrate when the toy is pulled along the floor.

The head 9 with the hat thereon can be of one turned piece of wood, or the head can be made separate of one piece, and the hat can be made of another piece and suitably fastened to the top of the head.

Thus the animal head 18 and the figure 7 are rigidly connected together through the wheeled base, and only the arms and reins of the said head and figure are movable relatively to the wheeled base, and the actuating mechanism or means is practically concealed from view. Also, by using a cylindrical torso 7 it can be inserted like a plug in the base 1, and it does not matter which side of the cylinder is used as the front portion, as all sides are alike. Also, the spherical head 9 can be used with any side thereof as the face, and is simply inserted like a plug in the top of the torso 7, to form a closure for the top of the chamber in which the actuating means are concealed.

Without disclaiming anything, and without prejudice to any novelty disclosed, what I claim as my invention is:

1. In a mechanical toy, the combination of a base having one or more supporting wheels therefor, an animal head on the front portion of said base, rigid therewith, a toy figure rigid with the rear portion of said base, having movable arms, wheel operated means concealed in the body of the figure for actuating said arms up and down,

and reins connecting said arms to'saidhead, actuated by the arms, so that the animal head and said figure are rigidly connected together by said Wheeled base, and only the arms and reins thereof have motion relatively to said base.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said toy figure comprising a torso inserted rigidly in said base and having a transverse rock shaft in the upper portion thereof, said arms being fixed on the end portions or said rock shaft, and said arm operating means extending upwardly in said torso and being pivoted therein to actuate said rock shaft.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said toy figure comprising a hollow torso inserted in said base, and said arm actuating means comprising a crank axle, and means enclosed in said torso and pivoted therein to connect said crank axle to said arms.

a. A structure as specified in claim 1, said toy figure comprising a cylindrical hollow torso inserted in said base, and a turned head inserted in the upper end of said torso, forming a plug-like closure for the top of the hollow torso, said arm actuating means being enclosed by said torso.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, said arms being rigidly connected with each other by their common pivot and connected together also by said, reins, the arm actuatingmeans engaging the rigid connection midway between the arms.

Specification signed this 28th day of Aug. 1925.

CLARENCE A. WETZELL. 

